A friend and myself are planning on heading up to the Bugs this summer for a quick in and out. We dont have a lot of time to take off so we will be watching weather windows closely and head up when the time is right. we live about 10 hours away, in montana so the drive will not be that big of an issue. we are hoping for four days in the range. Our goal is to free All Along the Watch Tower on the North Howser Tower. Since neither of us have been there before I was hoping to get some advice on the route, where it starts, best approach, where to bivy on and off the wall. Our plan is hike in as far as possible on day one, bivy. Day 2 climb to bivy ledge on route. Day 3 summit and start our hike out, bivy only if needed. day 4 drive home. Any and all information that you could give us would be greatly appreciated. Please do not tell us to try something easier, or allow more time, or really anything that is not going to help us send what I hear is an amazing route. Also if anyone has climbed the route and has gear needed, not needed info would be great.

50 favorite climbs has a good section on this route. I think it's by kennen harvey. thats all the "beta" I can offer. I've never been in to the bugs before either. good luck guys and maybe post a page on here or something when you send!

Thats a very fast schedule, but it can be done. It would be hard. You will need to get at least to the East Drainage campsite on day one. I'd go to the ridge above it. From there you rap to the glacier below North Howser.

Make sure you get water before you go. We did not find water on the route, except in the crack at the crux (not enough to drink, just enough to slip off.

The bottom of the route is a lot of wandering. The good bivy ledge to the left of the start of the dihedral is really the only bivy on the wall until the summit.

The route is every bit as long as it looks on the topos. Dont think the pitches are short because there are so many of them.

The corner doesn't get sun until mid afternoon. ITs cold

Be prepared for crevasses on the hike out... the section of the glacier is sliced up under North Howser. I plunged into one... kinda startling.

We climbed the lower part in like 6 hours. Its low enough angle that the second had to wear the bag. You can haul up high. We slept on the summit, or just below it, on the second night.